New Sport Pilots
If you are an aviation enthusiast seeking your first pilot certificate, the sport pilot certificate provides the easiest and least costly way to fly for fun and recreation.
The minimum required training time for the different light sport aircraft categories are:
• Airplane: 20 hours
• Powered Parachute: 12 hours
• Weight-Shift-Control (Trikes): 20 hours
• Glider: 10 hours
• Rotorcraft (gyroplane only): 20 hours
• Lighter-Than-Air: 20 hours (airship) or 7 hours (balloon)
To earn a sport pilot certificate, one must:
• Be at least 16 to become a student sport pilot (14 for glider).
• Be at least 17 to test for a sport pilot certificate (16 for gliders).
• Be able to read, write, and understand English.
• Hold a current and valid U.S. driver’s license as evidence of medical eligibility (provided the FAA didn’t deny, revoke, or suspend your last medical certificate application). Alternatively, you can also use a third class airman’s medical to establish medical fitness.
• Pass an FAA sport pilot knowledge test.
• Pass a FAA sport pilot practical (flight) test.
Medical Requirements:
Generally, sport pilots are allowed to use their state driver’s license to establish medical fitness. They must also follow any restrictions or limitations listed on their driver’s license. In addition, every pilot—from sport pilot to airline transport pilot—must determine before each flight that he or she is medically fit to operate their aircraft in a safe manner. As a pilot, it is your responsibility to ensure that your current medical health in no way jeopardizes the safety of a flight.
Existing pilots, including previous student pilots, who’ve had their FAA medical certificate or most recent application denied, revoked, withdrawn, or suspended by the FAA, are not allowed to operate using their driver’s license until they clear the denial from their airman record by having a valid third class medical certificate issued. To access additional resources regarding medical requirements, visit the Members Only section of www.eaa.org and click on the EAA Aeromedical Advisory link.
Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) Maintenance Requirements:
Repairman Certificate:
The FAA has instituted a new repairman certificate called "Repairman – Light-Sport aircraft". There are two ratings for this certificate, titled Inspection and Maintenance. To earn this certificate, you must:
Be at least 18 years old.
Speak, read, and understand English.
Complete the amount of training appropriate for the rating.
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
Inspection Rating
This rating allows you to conduct the annual condition inspection on an E-LSA you own. It requires the successful completion of an FAA accepted, 16-hour course on the inspection of your particular class of LSA:
Maintenance Rating :
This rating allows you to perform maintenance and the annual condition inspection on S-LSA’s and E-LSA’s for compensation or hire. It requires the completion of a course on the maintenance requirements of various light-sport aircraft
The minimum training time for each class is:
Class Minimum Hours of Instruction
Airplane 120 hours
Weight-shift control 104 hours
Powered parachute 104 hours
Lighter than air 80 hours
Glider 80 hours
The maintenance rating allows you to commercially maintain, repair, and perform the annual condition inspection on all Special-LSAs and condition inspections on Experimental-LSAs in that class.
What repairs and maintenance you can perform are specifically authorized in the aircraft manufacturer’s maintenance manual.
Knowledge Test:
All sport pilot applicants must take a 40 question multiple-choice test and score 70% or better. The sport pilot knowledge test is the same for all categories of light-sport aircraft. The FAA will test specific aircraft category questions during the oral portion of the practical test conducted by the sport pilot examiner. The FAA has approved two test providers LaserGrade and CATS. The test must be taken at an approved test location. Both LaserGrade and CATS have franchised hundreds of test locations around the country. The FAA has published a sample of the test questions you can expect to see on the 40-question test. Here is a link to view sample knowledge:
Test questions
What are the Sport Pilot Privileges and Limitations?
When operating as a sport pilot, you as the pilot must operate within the following guidelines of the sport pilot certificate:
Privileges:
• Operate as pilot in command of a sport pilot eligible aircraft
• Carry a passenger and share expenses (fuel, oil, airport expenses, and aircraft rental);
• Fly during the daytime using visual flight rules (VFR). Three statute miles visibility and visual contact with the ground are required.
• Cross-country flying anywhere in the U.S.
• Fly up to 10,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
• Fly solo or with one passenger.
• Share operating expenses with another person.
• Fly in Class E and G airspace (and B, C, and D airspace with appropriate training).
• Allows sport pilots to fly production (standard airworthiness certificate) and experimental amateur-built aircraft that meet the definition of a light-sport aircraft.
• Allows rental of special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA).
Limitations:
• Prohibited from Class A airspace.
• Prohibited from flying in Class B, C, or D airspace until you receive training and a logbook endorsement from an instructor.
• No flights outside the U.S. without prior permission from the foreign aviation authority.
• May not tow any object.
• No flights while carrying a passenger or property for compensation, hire, or
• Prohibited from flying in furtherance of a business.